Love you
by Paige Fan
Summary: One shot: Piper is attending a funeral for one of her sisters. Which sister is it? AU


A/N yeah this is AU. Again. I couldn't think of anything to happen 'four years ago' so just think they broke up over some stupid thing. Thanks!

Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed I only own the story.

The eldest Halliwell looked around the crowded room and spotted a man she'd once known well. The memory of her now fallen younger sister and one of the last things she had said to her oldest sister stuck in Piper's mind.

"Piper, give Leo a chance. If your roles were reversed you know you'd want at least that."

The image of her sister still firmly implanted in her mind, Piper took a deep breath and walked over to her ex-husband. "Hi."

"Piper," he acknowledged, his tone subdued. "How long has it been?"

"Four years." Piper's voice was hoarse and nervous. For years she'd wanted no contact with this man yet here she was, talking to him. Leo's expression was pained.

"I'm so sorry," he said. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there. I'm sorry I couldn't save her." Anger flared up in Piper as she remembered hearing those words a few years before. 

"Yeah. So am I," she said icily, before turning and walking away.

Piper made for the stairs, desperate to escape, only to be stopped by a person moving into her path.

"Where are you going?" Piper's one remaining sister asked.

"Upstairs," Piper replied tonelessly. Her sister followed as she hurried upstairs, both needing to get away from the endless sympathetic glances and sentences.

Piper stopped short as she saw the closed door to her fallen sister's bedroom. Moving as though in a dream, Piper entered the room. Everything was as it was when the lost sister had last left it. Clothes lay in the bed and the floor. Magazines were stacked untidily on the shelf. A make-up close was open, displaying lipstick, mascara and eye shadow. 

She heard her sister come in behind her.

"Why," Piper asked the room. "Why did she have to die?"

"You know why Piper," the other said softly. "It was destiny."

"Destiny." Piper's voice was bitter. "Destiny took the ones we loved. Destiny made up witches. Destiny screwed our lives up. Well, you know what? Screw destiny. From now on I do what I want, when I want instead of waiting around for damned destiny!" Piper felt arms encircle her from behind. She turned and found herself face to face with Leo.

Piper gulped, feeling as though the air had been squashed out of her.

"Piper, you're hurting, you're not thinking properly." Leo's deep voice made Piper feel strange. Her younger sister had disappeared, leaving no escape that way. 

"Of course I'm hurting Leo, we're at the damn reception for my sister's funeral," Piper growled, blinking back tears. She would _not_ show weakness to him. As an answer, Leo held Piper closer, running her fingers through her hair. The tears began to spill and Piper couldn't stop them. Soon she had broken down, sobbing uncontrollably in Leo's arms. 

Piper forgot the last four years as she melted into Leo's warm embrace. All she knew was that she was once again in Leo's arms and she felt safe and happy. When she'd gotten a hold on herself again, she sat down on the bed. Almost immediately she felt ashamed. She was using her own sister's death as a way to get Leo back. Piper was disgusted with herself. 

"Nice try," she said to Leo. She gave him a glare that could freeze hell and left, going into her own room.

Her sister was already there, waiting for her. Piper sat down next to her miserably. The other Halliwell put an arm around Piper and Piper gratefully leaned into her. She looked up when she felt wetness splash onto her. Her younger sister had tears running down her face. Piper sat up. Her problems with Leo could wait. She had to be the big sister now. Destiny had snatched another sister from them into death and both of them were hurting badly. The younger Halliwell had been strong for Piper and now Piper had to be strong for her.

Piper wrapped her arms around the other girl as she broke down and cried, her body racking with sobs as she finally let out all her grief and pain.

"Shhh," Piper murmured soothingly. "It's ok. You're alright." Piper hardly knew what she was saying, she just knew she had to comfort her younger sister. Piper rocked the younger girl back and forth until her tears stopped flowing.

The other girl wiped her eyes and sat up. Then she said something that took Piper completely by surprise.

"I wish you would make up with Leo, Piper," she said seriously.

"What?" Piper gasped. "Our sister has just died and you're already thinking about that? Aren't you even a little upset?"

"Of course I'm upset Piper. But it's hurts me to see you so torn up. You know you love Leo and you know he loves you back. And -," she looked Piper in the eye. "You know it's what she would've wanted."

Piper stared at her sister, speechless. She didn't know herself whether or not she wanted Leo back. Then she looked into her sister's eyes and saw the knowledge there that was deep in Piper's heart.

"Ok."

"Leo," Piper said softly, finally finding him in the spare room.

"Piper," Leo said emotionlessly, not raising his eyes as Piper sat down next to him. "What do you want?"

"Leo, I'm sorry," Piper told him. "I'm sorry for what happened four years ago. I'm sorry for the way I've been treating you." Leo said nothing, keeping his eyes fixed on the window. "Leo, please," Piper begged. She had prepared herself for anything, anger, fury, compassion, but not this. "Please don't ignore me."

At last he looked up. His eyes were luke-warm as he surveyed her. "What do you want me to do?" he asked, his voice kind.

"Oh god Leo, just – just hold me. Please." His eyes now warm and loving, Leo put his arms around Piper, holding her close. Piper buried her head in his shoulder and breathed in his scent. Then she sat up a little, looking him in the eye.

"Leo, I love you and I want to make our relationship work this time. Can we do it?" Her eyes begged him to say that they could, that they really would have their fairy-tale ending this time and live happily ever after. His reply did not disappoint her.

"Piper, I have loved you since the moment I set eyes on you. What happened four years ago was silly and selfish by both of us." He took her hands in his. "We can make this work. You know we can. Trust me Piper."

Once again, tears formed in Piper's eyes but this time they were not tears of sadness or grief. They were tears of happiness and of relief that finally something was going right. Leo's eyes were shining as he looked at Piper and he let out a laugh.

Piper glanced down and suddenly remembered her sister. At once the pain came back and overwhelmed her. She looked at Leo and saw the same pain in his clear blue eyes.

"Oh god Leo, it hurts," Piper whispered. "It hurts so bad."

"I know," Leo replied. "I feel it too. We have to be strong Piper. You know that's what she would've wanted." When Piper looked up she saw Leo was blinking furiously. They shared a look and both began to cry.

Later that night Piper lay in bed with one arm around her sister, neither wanting to leave the other. Leo had made up a bed in the spare room, he and Piper both knowing they'd have to talk in the morning. The younger Halliwell was asleep but Piper couldn't get the image of her sister being lowered into the ground out of her mind. Her thoughts were going crazy.

Finally she got up and turned on the light, careful not to wake her sleeping sister. She got a sheet of paper and a pen and began to write.

Half an hour later she wrote the last words and switched off the light, hopping back into bed.

Soon after Piper had fallen asleep a golden glow appeared and there stood the sister in question. She quickly read what Piper had written and smiled happily. The last few words echoed in her head.

__

'You're the best thing that ever happened to me, my dear youngest sister. I love you Paige.'

The ghost Paige kissed Piper and Phoebe on the cheek and, looking loving at her sisters faded away into nothing.

A/N um… Yeah. There it is. Thanks for reading!


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